...Part I...
"The Silence Between Words"
The old photograph remained on Elior Sinclaire's desk long after sunset.
Four children.
Three faces scratched out with black ink.
One untouched.
On the back, only seven words remained.
The Fourth Successor is finally awake.
The office outside continued as though nothing had changed.
Phones rang.
Printers hummed.
Employees laughed over coffee.
The city moved forward.
Only Elior remained frozen.
His fingers rested against the worn edges of the photograph, his expression unreadable.
For the first time in years...
his composure cracked.
A quiet knock echoed through the office.
Before he could answer, the door opened.
Lucien Nikolai stepped inside carrying two cups of coffee.
He stopped immediately.
Something was wrong.
The sarcastic secretary who usually greeted him with dry remarks was staring silently at the desk.
Lucien placed the coffee down.
"Elior."
No response.
Three seconds passed.
Then four.
Lucien tilted his head.
"You've ignored me for exactly three minutes."
Still nothing.
He stepped closer.
"...That's concerning."
Elior blinked.
The moment vanished.
His face returned to its usual calm expression.
"Sorry."
Lucien studied him carefully.
Years of business negotiations had taught him to read people.
People lied.
Eyes rarely did.
"You look troubled."
"I'm tired."
"You don't look tired."
"I'm overworked."
"I approved your vacation yesterday."
"...Cancel it."
Lucien couldn't help smiling.
"There he is."
For a brief second, the atmosphere lightened.
But only for a second.
Because Lucien noticed something else.
Elior's right hand had never left the photograph.
As though letting go would awaken something buried long ago.
Neither spoke of it again.
Outside the office, rain began to fall.
The city lights blurred against the windows, and somewhere deep beneath the streets, old memories stirred.
Part II
"The Man Beneath the Red Lights"
11:46 PM.
The underground parking garage of Nikolai Enterprises stood almost empty.
Only one black sedan remained.
Its polished surface reflected the flickering ceiling lights.
Elior walked alone through the concrete corridors.
His footsteps echoed softly.
The photograph rested inside his coat.
The silence around him felt unnatural.
Then—
the lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Darkness swallowed the garage.
When the emergency lights activated, everything was bathed in crimson.
The air felt colder.
He stopped walking.
Another pair of footsteps echoed through the shadows.
Slow.
Measured.
Unhurried.
Someone else was there.
Elior didn't move.
"...Come out."
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Then a voice emerged from the darkness.
Low.
Calm.
Almost amused.
"So..."
"...the Fourth Successor remembers."
A figure stepped forward.
Tall.
Dressed in a long black coat.
His face remained hidden beneath the shadow.
Only one object reflected the red emergency lights.
A silver chess king pin attached to his collar.
The same symbol from the envelope.
For several seconds...
neither man moved.
The stranger smiled faintly.
"You've grown."
Elior's expression hardened.
"...Who are you?"
The answer came almost gently.
"...Someone who survived."
Rain hammered against the city above.
The parking garage remained frozen in silence.
The stranger reached into his pocket and carefully placed a small brass key onto the concrete floor.
Its handle bore a single engraving.
IV
He stepped backward.
The lights flickered again.
Darkness swallowed him.
When the emergency lights stabilized...
the man had vanished.
No footsteps.
No sound.
No trace.
Only the brass key remained.
Elior stared at it without bending down.
Some doors, once opened, could never be closed again.
Far above the city, Lucien stood alone inside his office.
Coffee untouched.
Eyes fixed on the rain beyond the glass.
For reasons he could not explain...
he felt uneasy.
As though someone important to him was already standing at the edge of a storm neither of them understood.
And in an abandoned cathedral on the outskirts of the city, hidden figures gathered around a stone table lit by a single candle.
One voice finally broke the silence.
"Has the Fourth awakened?"
Another answered quietly.
"...Yes."
"...Then let the game begin."
The candle was extinguished.
Darkness reclaimed the room.
And somewhere beneath the sleeping city...
a mystery buried for fifteen years took its first breath.
End of Chapter 2
Some doors are locked to protect the world from monsters.
Others are locked to protect the monsters from the truth.
Tonight... one of those doors has begun to open.
🖤✨
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 10 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments